


Back to the cabin

by gabi_maria



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24416125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabi_maria/pseuds/gabi_maria
Summary: A deeper look into the scene that changed everything (even if the writers ignored it afterwards). What does Lex mean to Lena and what killing him might have symbolized to her once she found out about Kara and Supergirl?A new look into the reveal scene from 4x22.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Lena Luthor & Lex Luthor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	Back to the cabin

She arrives at the cabin to find it surprisingly unprotected. There’s no intricate security system on the entrance, no heat detectors on the corridors, not even a simple alarm to startle her.

So she enters the main room, where she once played with Lex and listened to his promises with complete and utter faith he would fulfill every one of them, and finds it filled with computers, screens, and all sorts of tech Lex could need to make this his escape house.

Lena sighs heavily once it dawns on her: this  _ is _ where Lex will come after the fight. And he’s even more arrogant than she had ever thought, because he truly expected her to stand by again, trusting the authorities would stop him.

A part of her hopes the fight is messy and extraviolent to the point Supergirl kills him. Or Lex just doesn’t survive it.

She sighs again, trying to calm herself. She doesn’t really want any of the options, but Lex won’t rest until he either gets things his way or gets himself killed. Since it’s impossible to agree with her brother’s point of view, Lena just truly hopes the last option happens before she takes any part in it.

Every second of waiting feels like forever inside the silent cabin. It’s actually good Lex redecorated the place with his equipment, because that prevents Lena from drowning in childhood memories. She remembers what it felt like to belong on Lex’s side. She remembers just how warm her chest felt when he promised to protect her and have her by his side when he changed the world.

Crumbs of his attention, of course.

When Lex started developing weapons and raging war against Superman, she thought he was going insane. And it took an attempt on her very life, after he was imprisoned, to convince her that Lex was gone beyond repair.

And she had still thought like that until a few days ago. She had still believed that something had changed inside of Lex, something that fed on his arrogance and thirst for power. 

The only things capable of shattering that idea were Lex’s journals, the ones she had found and read in his cell.

“ _ Lena craves my attention. It’s pathetic _ ”.

She forces the lump in her throat down, praying it will settle for now. Obviously, if Lex kept an inventory of every mistake she had ever made since moving in with the Luthors, then those childhood memories were never as happy as she used to believe. He was playing her all along. Making sure she wouldn’t rebel. 

Lex craves worship. He needs someone to caress his ego like a plant needs sunlight. And Lena was that someone for a couple of decades. No matter how he dismissed her first inventions, how much he reminded her that she still had a long way to go before sitting by his side at the boardroom….

Betrayal is a bitch, sure. But realizing the one person who kept you sane for most of your life was only doing it to flatter himself…

Lena runs her fingers along the gun handle, trying to fuel her resolution with anger and revolt. Deep down, she knows that part of why she’s here is to prove to herself that she has let go of Lex. Let him get cancer again, who cares? She failed when she didn’t let him die then, but she’ll fix it now.

Suddenly there’s a sound behind her, so she turns to see Lex falling on the ground, tired and defeated, with his back turned to her. He’s panting, incapable of getting back on his feet alone and Lena just steps towards him, syringe firm in her hand as she sticks it to her brother’s throat.

\- No more superpowers for you - she announces.

\- Lena - he is caught off guard, but it still sounds like a mockery. - What a surprise.

\- What can I say, Lex? You’ve become predictable.

Lena’s heart is beating so fast she’s afraid Lex will hear it. Instead he goes on saying how genius it was of him to leave those journals behind, to paint that landscape on the wall…

\- It all comes down to this, sis - he says, still panting. - You can only count on blood. Come on, gimme a hand.

He actually stretches a hand to her, but Lena has pulled the gun by then. She’s so furious she can’t believe her hands are firm. Even defeated, even when down on his knees, gasping for air, Lex won’t see her as less than his little pet. She wants to believe her actions were thought through as she points the gun at him.

\- Oh, come on, Lena! This is no time for theatrics - he’s so sure of himself. His face is calm and certain, looking at Lena like he feels sorry for her. - No matter how much you despise me - he continues -, we both know you’re not ruthless enough to pull that trigger.

She is, though.

It takes less than a heartbeat and she’s already fired twice. Her mind is a mess of fury and hurt and fear and pure sadness, but still she finds her voice to state:

\- The world will  _ never _ be a safe place with you in it.

She doesn’t know why she keeps pointing the gun at him, like she needs protection from some inevitable punishment. But Lex is faking shock, filled with rage as he shows his bloody hand.

\- You did it, Lena! You  _ killed me _ ! Finally proved that I’ve been underestimating you all this time… 

He makes his way to a nearby chair, pulling his body up enough to be almost seated. 

And it’s such a horrible sight. 

Nothing could have prepared Lena to watch this. For the first time, she feels the gun pointing down a little, almost like it is ashamed of what just happened.

\- But when I’m gone, who will be left to be proud of you?!

Lena gulps hard. How many times hadn’t that very question passed through her mind during her life? Until a couple of years ago, the Luthors were all she’d ever known and Lex was the only enjoyable part of it. He reached for her when no one else would. He gave her books and science tips. He controlled her, yes, but his love had also been the only kind of love in her life for so long.

\- Oh, your friends?! - Lex hisses. - The joke’s on you. It’s always been on you!

Part of her wants to fire at him again, but Lex has grabbed a small remote and he’s pressing it before Lena can act on the thought. She follows his movements with the gun though, telling herself that she’s not second guessing her actions.

A second later, everything feels numb and muffled while Lex names how every single person who ever meant anything to her in National City was an ultimate liar.

She’d waited for threats. She’d thought that Lex would put a bunch of recordings or maps on the screen or whatever and swear to kill all of her friends in revenge. Instead, she sees Kara using superpowers as Lex lists everyone who made a fool out of her over the past few years.

\- Denial is a very powerful thing, isn’it? - he mocks. - It’s been standing right in front of you all this time and you  _ chose  _ not to see it.

She’s blinking away the tears and failing. Her arms fall to her sides, completely helpless.

\- Kara Danvers is Supergirl! - Lex spits the words with such despise that Lena shivers. - I’m about to die. But at least I lived without ever being a fool!

His breath quickens after that, his eyes lose focus. Lena is still watching the scenes: Kara with heat vision, burning pictures of them… in Kaznia.

Lena would recognize that outfit anywhere. That dark, wet place where Lex had helped the Kaznians train Red Daughter. She would always remember everything about that place because she’d almost let Kara die back then.

Except… Kara wouldn’t have.

A part of her wants to fire at Lex’s body again, just to make sure he’s paid for this, but she’s too stunned to move. 

From the moment Lex escaped with the Harun el treatment, she’d known it would come to this. He couldn’t be stopped any other way and Lena was the only one who could get close enough to kill him. 

And she’d vowed to herself that she wasn’t doing this out of revenge but rather out of justice. She would sell a small piece of her soul in return for the peace Lex had always taken away from her and from the whole world.

Yet, he is gone and she feels worse than ever. Is she regretful? Does she wish she had stayed back and let Lex escape? 

Lena still hasn’t quite processed what her brother’s last words truly mean, but she knows the world feels wrong and out of place.

And for the first time in a long time she knows she can’t find it in her to turn to anyone for help. 

This time Lex didn’t turn the world upside down. He just told her how the world was never quite in place to begin with. 

And the people she’d thought would be by her side after this… 

Those people turned the world upside down years ago.

And yes: the joke was on her.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I hope you1ve enjoyed the read!
> 
> Please let me know what you thought in the comments! It's my first work on Supergirl and also the first story I wrote in English (I'm not a native speaker), so all inputs and feedbacks are very much appreciated!


End file.
